[r]→[ʈ]Certainty: 5/5Commonality: 4/5
Alveolar trill to Voiceless retroflex stop
The shift from the rhotic consonant [r] to a retroflex stop like [ʈ] (or [ɖ]) typically occurs through sandhi assimilation. In languages with retroflex phonology, an [r] preceding a dental or alveolar stop causes the articulation to migrate backward, merging the two sounds into a single retroflex stop.
Phonetic Effects
Retroflexion, Sandhi Assimilation, Fusion
Language Examples
ṟ [r̺] (Tamil alveolar trill)→[ʈ] (retroflex, geminated)— Tamil ற (ṟ) realized as a retroflex stop [ʈ] when geminated: 'paṟṟu' (to hold) → [paʈʈu]. The alveolar trill hardens to retroflex stop in certain phonological positions.
svart [rt]→[svaʈ]— Recursive sandhi: the [r] merges with the following [t] to create a voiceless retroflex stop.
kort→[kʰʊʈ]
varta- [rt]→baat [t] (via [ʈ])— Historical retroflexion of dental stops triggered by a preceding rhotic.
Related Transformations
More Assimilation Shifts
Sources & References
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